Ukunqoba Ubuthakathaka Bobuntu

“Ukunakwa kwenyama kusho ukufa.”—ROMA 8:6.

1. Abanye bawubheka kanjani umzimba womuntu, futhi yimuphi umbuzo odinga ukuhlolwa?

“NGIYAKUKUBONGA, ngokuba ngenziwa ngokwesabekayo nangokumangalisayo.” (IHubo 139:14) Wahlabelela kanjalo umhubi uDavide lapho ecabanga ngenye yendalo kaJehova—umzimba womuntu. Kunokuba batuse ngale ndlela ngezizathu ezinhle, abanye abafundisi benkolo babheka umzimba njengendawo nethuluzi lesono. Uye wabizwa ngokuthi “isambatho sokungazi, isisekelo sobubi, izibopho zokonakala, umphandu omnyama, ukufa okuphilayo, isidumbu esiphilayo, ithuna elihambayo.” Yiqiniso, umphostoli uPawulu washo ukuthi: “Enyameni yami, akuhlali lutho oluhle.” (Roma 7:18) Kodwa ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi sivaleleké ngokungenathemba emzimbeni onesono?

2. (a) Kusho ukuthini ‘ukunaka inyama’? (b) Yikuphi ukungqubuzana ‘kwenyama’ ‘nomoya’ okwenzeka kubantu abafisa ukujabulisa uNkulunkulu?

² Ngezinye izikhathi imiBhalo ibiza umzimba womuntu ngokuthi ‘inyama.’ (1 AmaKhosi 21:27, NW) Iyalisebenzisa futhi elithi “inyama” lapho ikhuluma ngomuntu esimweni sakhe sokungapheleli njengenzalo enesono ka-Adamu owahlubuka. (Efesu 2:3; IHubo 51:5; Roma 5:12) Ifa esalizuza kuye liye laveza ‘ubuthakathaka benyama.’ (Roma 6:19) Futhi uPawulu waxwayisa: “Ukunakwa kwenyama kusho ukufa.” (Roma 8:6) Lokho ‘kunaka inyama’ kusho ukulawulwa nokushukunyiswa yizifiso zenyama enesono. (1 Johane 2:16) Ngakho uma sizama ukujabulisa uNkulunkulu, kuhlala kunokungqubuzana phakathi kwengokomoya lethu nesimo sethu sokuba nesono esilokhu sisicindezela ukuba senze “imisebenzi yenyama.” (Galathiya 5:17-23; 1 Petru 2:11) Ngemva kokuchaza lokhu kungqubuzana okubuhlungu okungaphakathi kuye, uPawulu wathi: “Yeka mina muntu wosizi! Ubani oyongophula kulomzimba othola lokhukufa?” (Roma 7:24) Ingabe uPawulu wayeyisisulu sesilingo esingenakuzisiza? IBhayibheli liyala liyaphetha!

 Isilingo Nesono Njengoba Sinjalo

3. Abaningi basibheka kanjani isono nesilingo, kodwa iBhayibheli lixwayisa kanjani ngaleso simo sengqondo?

³ Abaningi namuhla abakwamukeli ukuthi kunento eyisono. Abanye balisebenzisa sakuncokola elithi “isono,” njengegama eliyisidala elichaza amaphutha abantu angasho lutho. Abaqapheli ukuthi “sonke kumelwe sibonakaliswe phambi kwesihlalo sokwahlulela sikaKristu, ukuze ngamunye athole umklomelo wakhe ngezinto ezenziwe ngomzimba, ngokwezinto azenze umkhuba, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi zinhle noma zimbi.” (2 Korinte 5:10) Abanye bangase babonise ukuthi bona basivumela kalula isilingo. Abanye abantu banezinkambiso ezigxile ekuzaneliseni okusheshayo, kungaba okuhilela ukudla, ubulili, ukuzijabulisa noma ukufeza okuthile. Abagcini ngokufuna yonke into kodwa futhi bayifuna khona manje! (Luka 15:12) Ababheki ngale kwenjabulo eseduze, enjabulweni eseza ‘yokuphila kwangempela.’ (1 Thimothewu 6:19) Nokho, iBhayibheli lisifundisa ukuba sicabange ngokucophelela futhi sibe nombono obanzi, sigweme noma yini engasilimaza ngokomoya noma ngenye indlela. Isaga esiphefumulelwe sithi: “Oqondileyo uyabona ububi, acashe, kepha abangenalwazi badlula nje, bahlupheke ngakho.”—IzAga 27:12.

4. Yisiphi isiyalo uPawulu asinikeza kweyoku-1 Korinte 10:12, 13?

⁴ Lapho uPawulu ebhalela amaKristu ayehlala eKorinte—umuzi owawaziwa ngokukhohlakala—wanikeza isixwayiso esibhekana namaqiniso mayelana nezilingo namandla esono. Wathi: “Lowo ocabanga ukuthi umile makaqaphele ukuba angawi. Asikho isilingo esinificile ngaphandle kwalokho okuvamile kubantu. Kodwa uNkulunkulu ukholekile, futhi ngeke anivumele ukuba nilingwe ngokungaphezu kwalokho eningakuthwala, kodwa ngokuhambisana nalesosilingo uyokwenza nendlela yokuphuma ukuze nikwazi ukusikhuthazelela.” (1 Korinte 10:12, 13) Sonke—abadala nabancane, abesilisa nabesifazane—sibhekana nezilingo eziningi esikoleni, emsebenzini noma kwenye indawo. Ngakho-ke, ake sihlole amazwi kaPawulu, sibone ukuthi asithinta kanjani.

Ungazethembi Ngokweqile

5. Kungani kuyingozi ukuzethemba ngokweqile?

⁵ UPawulu uthi: “Lowo ocabanga ukuthi umile makaqaphele ukuba angawi.” Ukuwethemba ngokweqile amandla ethu okuziphatha kuyingozi. Kubonisa ukungasiqondi isono namandla aso. Njengoba abantu abanjengoMose, uDavide, uSolomoni nomphostoli uPetru bawela esonweni, ingabe kufanele thina sibe nomuzwa wokuthi asikho engozini? (Numeri 20:2-13; 2 Samuweli 11:1-27; 1 AmaKhosi 11:1-6; Mathewu 26:69-75) IzAga 14:16 zithi: “Ohlakaniphileyo uyesaba, udeda ebubini, kepha isiwula siyaqhosha, singanaki lutho.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJesu wathi: “Umoya uyalangazela, kodwa inyama ibuthakathaka.” (Mathewu 26:41) Njengoba kungekho muntu ongaphelele ogomekile ezifisweni ezonakele, kudingeka sisithathe ngokungathi sína isixwayiso sikaPawulu, simelane nesilingo, ngale kwalokho sisengozini yokuwa.—Jeremiya 17:9.

6. Kufanele sizilungiselele ukumelana nesilingo nini futhi kanjani?

⁶ Kuwukuhlakanipha ukuzilungiselela inkinga engase ivele kungalindelekile. INkosi u-Asa yaqaphela ukuthi inkathi yokuthula kwakuyinkathi ekahle yokuba iqinise ukuzivikela kwayo. (2 IziKronike 14:2, 6, 7) Yayazi ukuthi kwakuyobe sekwephuze kakhulu uma izama ukuzilungiselela ngesikhathi ihlaselwa. Ngokufanayo, kungcono kakhulu ukuzenza ngengqondo ehluzekile izinqumo mayelana nalokho esiyokwenza lapho kuvela izilingo, kusenokuthula. (IHubo 63:6) UDaniyeli nabangane bakhe abesaba uNkulunkulu banquma ukwethembeka emthethweni kaJehova ngaphambi kokuba bacindezelwe ukuba badle izibiliboco zenkosi. Ngakho, abangabazanga ukunamathela kulokho ababekukholelwa futhi bangakudli ukudla okungcolile. (Daniyeli 1:8) Ngaphambi kokuba zivele izimo ezilingayo, masiqinise ukuzimisela kwethu ukuhlala sihlanzekile ngokuziphatha. Khona-ke siyoba namandla okumelana nesono.

7. Kungani kududuza ukwazi ukuthi abanye baye bamelana ngokuphumelelayo nesilingo?

 ⁷ Yeka induduzo esiyithola emazwini kaPawulu: “Asikho isilingo esinificile ngaphandle kwalokho okuvamile kubantu”! (1 Korinte 10:13) Umphostoli uPetru wabhala: “Thathani ukuma kwenu ngokumelene [noDeveli], niqinile okholweni, nazi ukuthi izinto ezifanayo eziyizinhlupheko ziyafezwa kuyo yonke inhlangano yabafowenu ezweni.” (1 Petru 5:9) Yebo, abanye baye babhekana nezilingo ezifanayo futhi bamelana nazo ngokuphumelelayo ngosizo lukaNkulunkulu, futhi nathi singakwenza. Nokho, njengamaKristu eqiniso aphila ezweni elonakele, sonke singakulindela ukulingwa ngesikhathi esithile. Singaqiniseka kanjani-ke ukuthi siyobunqoba ubuthakathaka bobuntu nesilingo sokona?

Singamelana Nesilingo!

8. Iyiphi indlela eyisisekelo yokugwema isilingo?

⁸ Indlela eyisisekelo yokuyeka ukuba “yizigqila zesono” iwukugwema isilingo lapho kungenzeka. (Roma 6:6) IzAga 4:14, 15 ziyasinxusa: “Ungangeni emkhondweni wababi, ungahambi endleleni yabonakeleyo. Yixwaye, ungadluli ngayo; chezuka kuyo, udlule.” Ngokuvamile sazi kusengaphambili ukuthi izimo ezithile kungenzeka ziholele esonweni. Ngakho-ke, into okusobala ukuthi kumelwe siyenze njengamaKristu ‘ukudlula,’ sigweme noma ubani noma yini nanoma iyiphi indawo engabangela izifiso ezingafanele futhi ivuse izifiso ezingahlanzekile.

9. Ukubalekela isimo esilingayo kugcizelelwa kanjani emiBhalweni?

⁹ Ukubalekela isimo esilingayo kungesinye isinyathelo esiyisisekelo sokunqoba isilingo. UPawulu weluleka: “Balekelani ubufebe.” (1 Korinte 6:18) Wabhala: “Balekelani ukukhonza izithombe.” (1 Korinte 10:14) Futhi lo mphostoli waxwayisa uThimothewu ukuba abalekele isifiso eseqile sengcebo yezinto ezibonakalayo ‘nezifiso ezihambisana nobusha.’—2 Thimothewu 2:22; 1 Thimothewu 6:9-11.

10. Yiziphi izibonelo ezimbili ezingafani ezibonisa ukubaluleka kokubalekela isilingo?

¹⁰ Cabanga ngendaba yenkosi yakwa-Israyeli uDavide. Lapho iqalaza isophahleni lwesigodlo sayo, yabona owesifazane omuhle egeza, futhi inhliziyo yayo yagcwala izifiso ezingafanele. Kwakufanele isuke ophahleni ibalekele isilingo. Kunalokho, yabuza ngalona wesifazane—uBati Sheba—futhi imiphumela yaba yinhlekelele. (2 Samuweli 11:1–12:23) Ngakolunye uhlangothi, wenze njani uJosefa lapho inkosikazi yomqashi wakhe eziphethe kabi imnxusa ukuba alale nayo. Ukulandisa kuyasitshela: “Kwathi esakhuluma kuJosefa izinsuku ngezinsuku, akamlalelanga ukuba alale naye, nokuba abe naye.” Yize yayingekho imiyalo yoMthetho KaMose, njengoba yayingakabhalwa, uJosefa wayiphendula ngokuthi: “Ngingenza kanjani lobo bubi obungaka, ngone kuNkulunkulu, na?” Ngolunye usuku yambamba, yathi: “Lala nami.” Ingabe  uJosefa wahlala lapho wazama ukubonisana nayo? Cha. “Wabaleka, wagijimela phandle.” UJosefa akasinikanga isilingo sobulili ithuba lokuba siziveze. Wabaleka!—Genesise 39:7-16.

11. Yini esingase sikwazi ukuyenza uma sibhekene nesilingo esiqhubekayo?

¹¹ Ngezinye izikhathi ukubaleka kubhekwa njengobugwala, kodwa ukusuka ngokoqobo esimweni esithile ngokuvamile kuwukuhlakanipha. Mhlawumbe sibhekene nesilingo esiqhubekayo emsebenzini. Nakuba singase singabi nandlela yokushintsha umsebenzi, zingase zibe khona ezinye izindlela zokusuka ezimweni ezilingayo. Kudingeka sibalekele noma yini esiyaziyo ukuthi ayilungile, futhi kumelwe sizimisele ukwenza okulungile kuphela. (Amose 5:15) Kokunye, ukubalekela isilingo kungasho ukugwema amakhasi e-Internet anezithombe zobulili ezingcolile nezindawo zokuzijabulisa ezingabazekayo. Kungase futhi kusho ukulahla umagazini othile noma ukuthola abangane abasha—abamthandayo uNkulunkulu futhi abangase bakwazi ukusisiza. (IzAga 13:20) Noma ngabe yini esilingela ukona, senza ngokuhlakanipha uma siyifulathela ngokungathandabuzi.—Roma 12:9.

Indlela Umthandazo Ongasiza Ngayo

12. Sicelani kuNkulunkulu uma sithandaza sithi: “Ungasifaki esilingweni”?

¹² UPawulu unikeza lesi siqinisekiso esimisa idolo: “UNkulunkulu ukholekile, futhi ngeke anivumele ukuba nilingwe ngokungaphezu kwalokho eningakuthwala, kodwa ngokuhambisana nalesosilingo uyokwenza nendlela yokuphuma ukuze nikwazi ukusikhuthazelela.” (1 Korinte 10:13) Enye yezindlela uJehova asisiza ngazo iwukuphendula imithandazo yethu yokucela usizo lwakhe ekubhekaneni nesilingo. UJesu Kristu wasifundisa ukuthandaza: “Ungasifaki esilingweni, kodwa usikhulule komubi.” (Mathewu 6:13) Ephendula imithandazo enjalo esuka enhliziyweni, uJehova ngeke asishiye esilingweni; uyosikhulula kuSathane nasemaqhingeni akhe. (Efesu 6:11) Kufanele sicele uNkulunkulu asisize siqaphele izilingo futhi sibe namandla okumelana nazo. Uma simnxusa ukuba angasivumeli ukuba sihluleke lapho silingeka, uyosisiza ukuze singanqotshwa nguSathane, “omubi.”

13. Kufanele senze njani lapho sibhekene nesilingo esiphikelelayo?

¹³ Ukuthandaza ngobuqotho sikudinga ngokukhethekile lapho sibhekene nesilingo esiphikelelayo. Ezinye izilingo zingabangela ukushikashikeka okunamandla kwangaphakathi, silwe nemicabango nezimo zengqondo ezisikhumbuza kabuhlungu indlela esibuthakathaka ngayo ngempela. (IHubo 51:5) Ngokwesibonelo, yini esingayenza uma sihlushwa ukukhumbula umkhuba othile owonakele wesikhathi esidlule? Kuthiwani uma silingelwa ukuba sibuyele kuwo? Kunokumane uzame ukuyicindezela imizwa enjalo, yethule kuJehova ngomthandazo le ndaba—ngokuphindaphindiwe uma kudingekile. (IHubo 55:22) Ngamandla eZwi lakhe nomoya wakhe ongcwele, angasisiza ukuba sihlanze izingqondo zethu sisuse ukuthambekela okungahlanzekile.—IHubo 19:8, 9.

14. Kungani umthandazo ubalulekile ekubhekaneni nesilingo?

¹⁴ Ephawula ukozela kwabaphostoli bakhe ensimini yaseGetsemane, uJesu wanxusa: “Hlalani nilindile futhi nithandaze njalo, ukuze ningangeni esilingweni. Yebo, umoya uyalangazela, kodwa inyama ibuthakathaka.” (Mathewu 26:41) Enye yezindlela zokunqoba isilingo iwukuqaphela ukuthi isilingo singaba ngezinhlobo ezihlukahlukene futhi siqonde izici zaso ezicashile. Kubalulekile futhi ukuba sithandaze ngokushesha ngaleso silingo ukuze sihlonyiselwe ukulwa naso. Ngenxa yokuthi isilingo sihlasela lapho sibuthakathaka kakhulu khona, asinakumelana naso ngokwethu. Umthandazo ubalulekile ngoba amandla kaNkulunkulu angasekela ukuzivikela kwethu kuSathane. (Filipi 4:6, 7) Singase sidinge nosizo olungokomoya nemithandazo ‘yamadoda amadala ebandla.’—Jakobe 5:13-18.

Melana Ngamandla Nesilingo

15. Yini ehilelekile ekumelaneni nesilingo?

¹⁵ Ngale kokugwema isilingo lapho kungenzeka,  kumelwe simelane naso ngamandla size sidlule noma isimo sishintshe. Lapho uJesu elingwa nguSathane, wamelana noDeveli waze wahamba. (Mathewu 4:1-11) Umfundi uJakobe wabhala: “Melanani noDeveli futhi uyonibalekela.” (Jakobe 4:7) Ukumelana naye kuqala ngokuqinisa ingqondo yethu ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu nokunquma ukuthi siyonamathela ezindinganisweni zakhe. Senza kahle ukubamba ngekhanda nokuzindla ngemibhalo eyisihluthulelo emayelana nobuthakathaka bethu ngokukhethekile. Kungaba ukuhlakanipha ukuthola umKristu ovuthiwe—mhlawumbe umdala—esingamxoxela ngalokho okusikhathazayo nesingacela usizo kuye lapho isilingo sihlasela.—IzAga 22:17.

16. Singahlala kanjani siqotho ngokuziphatha?

¹⁶ ImiBhalo isinxusa ukuba sigqoke ubuntu obusha. (Efesu 4:24) Lokhu kusho ukuvumela uJehova asilolonge futhi asishintshe. Ebhalela isisebenzi esikanye naye esinguThimothewu, uPawulu wathi: “Phishekela ukulunga, ukuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu, ukholo, uthando, ukukhuthazela, ubumnene bomoya. Yilwa ukulwa okuhle kokholo, bambisisa ukuphila okuphakade owabizelwa khona.” (1 Thimothewu 6:11, 12) ‘Singaphishekela ukulunga’ ngokutadisha iZwi likaNkulunkulu ngenkuthalo ukuze sithole ulwazi olujulile ngobuntu bakhe bese siziphatha ngokuvumelana nezimfuneko zakhe. Ukuhlanganyela ngokugcwele emisebenzini yobuKristu, njengokushumayela izindaba ezinhle nokuya emihlanganweni nako kubalulekile. Ukusondela kuNkulunkulu nokuwasebenzisa ngokugcwele amalungiselelo akhe angokomoya kuyosisiza ukuba sikhule ngokomoya futhi sihlale siqotho ngokuziphatha.—Jakobe 4:8.

17. Sazi kanjani ukuthi uNkulunkulu ngeke asilahle lapho silingwa?

¹⁷ UPawulu uyasiqinisekisa ukuthi noma yisiphi isilingo esibhekana naso asisoze saba ngaphezu kwamandla esiwanikwe nguNkulunkulu okubhekana naso. UJehova ‘uyokwenza indlela yokuphuma ukuze sikwazi ukusikhuthazelela.’ (1 Korinte 10:13) Ngempela, uNkulunkulu akasivumeli isilingo ukuba sibe namandla kangangokuba siswele amandla angokomoya anele ukuba silondoloze ubuqotho uma siqhubeka sithembele kuye. Ufuna siphumelele ekumelaneni ngamandla nesilingo sokwenza okungalungile emehlweni akhe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, singaba nokholo esithembisweni sakhe: “Angisoze ngakushiya noma ngakulahla nganoma iyiphi indlela.”—Heberu 13:5.

18. Kungani singaqiniseka ukuthi singabunqoba ubuthakathaka bobuntu?

¹⁸ UPawulu wayengeyena ongaqiniseki ngomphumela wokulwa kwakhe nobuthakathaka bobuntu. Wayengazibheki njengesisulu esidabukisayo nesingenamandla sezifiso zakhe zenyama. Ngokuphambene, wathi: “Indlela engigijima ngayo akuyona engaqinisekile; indlela engiqondisa ngayo amagalelo ami ingeyokuba ngingashayi umoya; kodwa ngiyawutuba umzimba wami futhi ngiwuhola njengesigqila, ukuze kuthi, ngemva kokuba sengishumayele kwabanye, mina ngokwami ngingabi ongamukeleki ngandlela-thile.” (1 Korinte 9:26, 27) Nathi singalwa ngokuphumelelayo nenyama engaphelele. NgemiBhalo, izincwadi ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini, imihlangano yobuKristu namaKristu avuthiwe esikanye nawo, uBaba wethu osezulwini onothando usinikeza njalo izikhumbuzo ezisisiza ukuba siphishekele inkambo yobuqotho. Ngosizo lwakhe, singabunqoba ubuthakathaka bobuntu!

Uyakhumbula?

• Kusho ukuthini ‘ukunaka inyama’?

• Singazilungiselela kanjani ukubhekana nesilingo?

• Yini esingayenza ukuze simelane nesilingo?

• Umthandazo ufeza yiphi indima ekubhekaneni nesilingo?

• Sazi kanjani ukuthi kungenzeka ukunqoba ubuthakathaka bobuntu?

[Imibuzo Yesifundo]

[Izithombe ekhasini 10]

IBhayibheli alifundisi ukuthi siyizisulu ezingenakuzisiza zezifiso zethu zenyama

[Isithombe ekhasini 12]

Ukubalekela isilingo kuyindlela eyisisekelo yokugwema isono